Your guide to biggest, best coming events

The Jackson Metro area is known for good food, lively music, creative artists and diverse culture.

Festivals are great ways to celebrate all of those attributes, and the Jackson area has no shortage of annual events from which to choose.

Read on and mark your calendars with some upcoming festivals this fall.

For the purposes of this article, we are including fall festivals that occur before December. Times and dates are subject to change.

Mississippi Book Festival

When: 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Sept. 13
Where: Mississippi State Capitol grounds, 400 High St.

Every year, the Mississippi Book Festival brings a “literary lawn party” to the state’s capitol grounds. The 11th annual festival will take place on Saturday, Sept. 13.

The event is free, and a list of panelists can be found on the Mississippi Book Festival website.

It’s Pride Y’all

When: Sept. 20; Times not available as of this publication.
Where: Downtown Jackson

The 5th annual It’s Pride Y’all will take place in downtown Jackson on Sept. 20.

The annual event is one of the largest pride festivals in Mississippi. This year’s theme is “United We Shine!”

Mississippi Science Fest

When: 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sept. 20
Where: LeFleur Museum District

The 10th annual Mississippi Science Fest will take place on Saturday, Sept. 20 in the LeFleur Museum District, which includes the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, the Mississippi Children’s Museum, the Mississippi Museum of Natural Science and the Mississippi Sports Hall of Fame.

Tickets are $10 and include admission to the MS Science Fest and all four museums.

Events leading up to Saturday’s Science Fest include a Field Trip Friday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sept. 19. A full schedule can be found on the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum website.

Mississippi State Fair

When: Oct. 2-13
Where: Mississippi Fairgrounds Complex, 1207 Mississippi St.

The Mississippi State Fair is one of the most anticipated events in the state. Guests can expect the usual rides, attractions, local food vendors and, of course, the Biscuit Booth.

This year, the Mississippi State Fair will compete in the Great American State Fair. During the week of July 4, 2026, President Donald Trump will recognize the nation’s most patriotic state fair.

Tickets are already available for purchase and schedules are available on the Mississippi State Fair website and will be available at the gates.

WellsFest

When: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 4
Where: Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive

WellsFest will take place on Saturday, Oct. 4, at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.

The festival originally started in 1984 and has become one of Jackson’s biggest fall festivals. In its 41-year stretch, the festival has raised more than $1.5 million for local nonprofits.

This year’s beneficiary is the Jackson Free Clinic.

Pumpkin Adventure

When: 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays, Oct. 8-11, 15-18 and 22-25
Where: Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive

The 2025 Pumpkin Adventure will take place on select dates in October at the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum.

Admission is $12 and free for children under the age of one.

Oktoberfest

When: Oct. 17 and 18
Where: Fertile Ground Beer Co., 800 Manship St.

Jackson’s annual Oktoberfest will take place on Oct. 17 and 18 at Fertile Ground Beer Co. in the Belhaven Town Center. Times not available as of this publication.

Follow Fertile Ground Beer Co. on Facebook for updates.

Red Beans and BBQ Festival

When: 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Oct. 25
Where: Belhaven Town Center, 1121 North Jefferson St.

The Bank Plus Red Beans and BBQ Festival will take place at the Belhaven Town Center on Oct. 25.

The event benefits Stewpot Community Services. Teams will compete to win honors like Best BBQ, Best Beans, Best Cook Team Tent and the People’s Choice Award.

Tickets are $15 each and are available on the Stewpot website.

Harvest Fest

When: 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. each day, Nov. 4-8
Where: Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum, 1150 Lakeland Drive

The annual Harvest Fest will take place from Nov. 4 through Nov. 8. Visitors can learn about Mississippi’s agricultural history through demonstrations of a cotton gin, saw mill, cane mill, print shop, blacksmith shop and more.

Guests can also take a ride on the festival’s wagon, train and carousel.

Admission is $10 each for ages 3 and up. Tickets are available on the Mississippi Agriculture and Forestry Museum website.

National Folk Festival

When: Nov. 7-9
Where: Downtown Jackson

The National Folk Festival kicks off its three-year residency on Nov. 7-9 in downtown Jackson.

Produced by the National Council for the Traditional Arts, the National Folk Festival began in 1934 and has since become the nation’s longest-running traditional arts event, according to its website.

Since its inception, the free, three-day event has brought outdoor multicultural celebrations to 28 cities throughout the nation.

Jackson is the first city in Mississippi to serve as a host city and will hold the National Folk Festival from 2025 to 2027. The capital city was chosen out of 42 competing cities nationwide for the three-year run.